Checking the NOAA SWPC layer.
Aurora forecast
Aurora Map and Guide
NOAA SWPC aurora forecast data, translated into a simple glow map.
Use this page to look at the Aurora layer by itself. The soft purple glows come from NOAA SWPC OVATION grid points above the display threshold, with notes below to help you read them as model context.
Forecast map
Modelled aurora glows
NOAA SWPC glows mark modelled aurora forecast grid points near polar regions. What people actually see depends on many local sky conditions.
Soft glows mark NOAA grid values of 10 or higher. The display is capped at 50 points: it starts with up to 25 of the strongest points from each hemisphere, then fills any remaining places from the strongest points left.
NOAA SWPC layer
Aurora forecast on the map
This page keeps the Aurora forecast layer selected so the map, cards, and guide stay focused on what the NOAA model is showing.
Compare the glows with the forecast time, grid value, and local sky conditions shown in the guide.
Checking forecast grid points shown on the map.
A NOAA grid value when data loads.
NOAA SWPC OVATION model grid.
Forecast cards
Aurora forecast summaries
A quick read of the strongest NOAA values shown here, alongside the forecast time and local conditions that affect what you may see.
Aurora basics
What is an aurora?
Auroras are lights seen near polar regions when activity from the Sun meets Earth's magnetic environment. They tend to gather around high-latitude regions instead of spreading evenly across the whole world.
NOAA SWPC source
What the layer shows
The LifeHubber Earth aurora layer uses NOAA SWPC public forecast grid data. It lists modelled aurora intensity near polar regions, with purple glows marking grid points that passed the display threshold.
The glow is best read as a model area, not a precise pin. It gives a simple sense of where the source data is placing stronger aurora activity in the near-term forecast window.
Map meaning
Why soft glows instead of pins?
Earthquakes are point reports, so dots make sense. Aurora forecasts come from grid/model data, so a soft glow is a better fit than a sharp pin.
Layer comparison
Different layers mean different things
Each map mark represents a different kind of information.
Earthquake dot
Reported earthquake location
A recent USGS earthquake report with latitude, longitude, magnitude, depth, and report time.
HantaData dot
Approximate HantaData location
A HantaData news-signal marker placed at country level when the record does not include a more exact location. It is not a case location.
Natural event dot
NASA EONET natural-event record
A recent NASA EONET natural-event record, shown separately from earthquake reports and aurora forecasts.
Aurora glow
NOAA modelled grid intensity
A purple glow layer based on NOAA SWPC OVATION forecast grid values near polar regions.
Reading guide
How to read the purple glows
Location
Glows are placed from NOAA grid latitude and longitude values, so they come from source grid points rather than decoration.
Intensity
Glows mark NOAA grid values of 10 or higher. The map shows no more than 50 points, balancing the strongest northern and southern values before filling any remaining places. Local viewing still depends on the real sky.
Time window
The layer reflects a near-term model forecast window from NOAA SWPC source data.
Sky conditions
Clouds, daylight, local conditions, and your viewing position all affect what you may see beneath a modelled glow area.
Source context
Check the current NOAA forecast
Use this map to compare where NOAA's model places stronger glow areas, then open the NOAA source page for its current forecast and full context.
LifeHubber Earth
See how a forecast differs from an event report
Earthquakes remain the main full tracker. Aurora adds a NOAA SWPC forecast view so you can compare modelled glow areas with source-reported event points.
The separate maps and guides help distinguish an earthquake report, a HantaData news signal, a NASA EONET record, and an aurora forecast glow.
Earth signals
Compare with other Earth layers
Open the main Earth dashboard when you want to compare Aurora with earthquakes and the other public-data layers.